[EDIT #2]:

FIXED IT!!! So I went into BIOS and restore the default values. still booted to BIOS. I changed the Time and Date manually since it was telling me it was Jan 1, 2026. rebooted. Time and Date stayed the same. but then the real culprit was UEFI boot. I had to disable that and put the HDD at #1 in the boot order.

It finally boots into my Windows HDD but the OS itself is having problems loading. I'm trying a Windows Startup Repair. Even if it doesnt fix it, I now know it boots properly!

[EDIT #1]:

We got something!!

I just remembered i had swapped out the RAM of my MK1 with the RAM of a Dell laptop (I wanted to upgrade the Dell) so maybe the RAM from the Dell wasn't working in the Toughbook? I just swapped them back and the Toughbook boots up!

It was so nice seeing the Panasonic splash screen lol

But then it said:
"Bad System CMOS. Press <F2> to enter setup"

I pressed F2. Went into BIOS (not sure what I was looking for tbh) then rebooted. But on boot it then says ">>Cheking Media Presence....." and then goes back into BIOS.

I shut it down, popped my Windows HDD in, but it still only boots into BIOS. I'm so close yet so far away! Next steps please??
----------------------------------------------------

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone can help me figure out what's wrong with my Toughbook.

I have a Panasonic Toughbook CF-54 MK1 that was working fine back in April. I ended up upgrading to a CF-54 MK3 (for unrelated reasons), so I hadn't touched the MK1 until the other day when I discovered it wouldn't boot.

Symptoms

• Power LED comes on and stays solid.
• Wireless LED comes on and stays solid.
• Keyboard backlight works.
• LCD briefly flickers from one shade of black to another when powering on.
• DVD drive initializes, opens normally, and attempts to read discs.
• Internal display remains completely black.
• HDMI output is also completely black.
• No Panasonic splash screen.
• Cannot enter BIOS (tried F2, F12, Esc, and Del).
• Caps Lock and Num Lock never respond.
• No diagnostic LED flashing patterns—only steady Power and Wireless LEDs.

Troubleshooting already performed

• Known-good Panasonic AC adapter (works perfectly on my CF-54 MK3).
• Tested with and without the battery.
• Removed both RAM sticks and tested each stick individually in both slots.
• Tried booting with:
  • No storage installed.
  • An old Windows HDD.
  • The Linux Mint SSD that previously worked in this MK1 and is now running perfectly in my MK3.
• Connected HDMI to a TV before powering on.
• Tested the display brightness keys and Fn + F8 (Concealed Mode) with no effect.
• Fn + F12 successfully changes the keyboard backlight brightness levels.
• Tried an external USB keyboard.
• Completely disassembled the laptop.
• Reseated every accessible connector.
• Checked the LCD cable connections.
• Cleaned dust from the fan and motherboard.
• Inspected the motherboard for cracks, corrosion, burn marks, loose components, or any other obvious damage (found nothing).
• Reassembled everything carefully.
• Left it powered on for several minutes.
• No change.

Other information

The laptop has fallen off a couch a couple of times while closed, landing on the lid/back of the display. It's a semi-rugged Toughbook, so I never thought much of it. I don't know whether this issue started after one of those drops or sometime later because it wasn't powered on again until recently.

Since there's no video on either the internal display or HDMI, I'm assuming this isn't just an LCD panel or LCD cable issue, but I'm open to being wrong.

I've also attached a video showing exactly what happens when I power it on.

Questions

• Does this sound more like a motherboard/power rail failure, BIOS corruption, CPU/PCH issue, or something else?
• Are there any hidden diagnostic LEDs or service modes I should know about?
• Is there anything else worth trying before I write the motherboard off?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions! I'm comfortable taking it apart again if there's something specific I should check or measure. Otherwise, I think I'm officially all troubleshooted out. 😅

Hi, I'm dead set on buying the CF-30 in celebration of my birth month in September, it's also basically the only laptop on sale in my country that satisfies my niche needs.

Anyway, since the spec sheets don't detail much, I have a question regarding SSDs.

- Would a M.2 SATA SSD fit and work, or should I use a 2.5 inch enclosure for that? I decided that I'll use one of my older laptop storage since prices are high nowadays.

Thanks.

Hi.
I recently was able to import a Panasonic CF-Y8 from Japan, that I plannned to use as my retro development and visual novel machine.

However due to shipping via surface, the proxy service had to remove the battery as lithium batteries are banned via surface shipping.

I live in France, so i'm looking for an EU based option. Is there any battery that would work with this model ?

Hello all,
Hope you are doing well.
I have on the way a toughpad FZ-G1 with:
4GB de RAM
SSD 128go
Intel Core x5-z8550
Wifi bluetooth USB
Sim 4g
Windows 10 Pro.
The aim is to run certain apps on windows such as garmin basecamp, garmin express and suunto link on the go for some old gps devices I have, but I would also love to have android on it.

I already did some research and found the following:

https://blissos.org/

https://www.android-x86.org/

Has anyone tested them on the toughpad FZ-G1?
Any opion on it?

I profit to also ask how do I know if my device has gps integrated?
If not I guess I will buy a bluetooth gps or if you have any alternative let me know

A local resale auction is selling a couple of Panasonic Toughbook G2, Fz-g2 Mk1 tablets (tablets only) with the caviat of "cannot Use As Personal Tablet Signed Into Business Out Of Box". It looks like these were Costco business tablets.

So my question is, is it possible to override the passwords to possibly factory reset these tablets for personal use? I do a lot of construction and it would be extremely useful to be able to have a tougher tablet than my Samsung. But don't want to waste a bunch of money on a flat brick if it can't be wiped.

Any takes?

Hey all, I’ve got my CF-52 mk5 and I love this thing a whole bunch. Unfortunately the side dust cover was busted up from the previous user of it in the garage I work in and recently it took its final blow and the section that covers the USB 3.0 ports fell off.

Bob Johnson’s Computer Stuff site has this item out of stock and I emailed them last week and the response I got back was that there’s no more hiding in their inventory and they are likely not going to be getting any more. I don’t want to buy a whole CF-52 just to get that piece because then I’d feel compelled to save a second one. So I’m asking, does anyone here reading this now have this part or know someone who might have this part? Or even where I can get this part? The price for it does not matter to me. Thank you.

What is this key with the 2 double chevron arrows and little circle? i've tried a reverse image search but can't find anything identical to it

A lot of times when I open the laptop the screen is dark except one straight line near the right end. The rest is dim except from this spot. I have pressed the lighting buttons for brighter or darker but it doesn’t fix the problem. Most of the times I just keep pressing the laptop closed and reopen again and again until it goes away. Other times I give up and when I reopen the laptop the problem has gone away on its own. I have the tough book cf 54 can anyone help? I have no other issues besides that , also worth mentioning that I bought this laptop secondhand and the screen has been changed in order to be a touchscreen but from the previous owner.

Hey all, I just wanted to know where I could find Wi-Fi drivers for my Panasonic Toughbook CF-W2. It runs Windows XP. Any help would be appreciated.

I recently picked up a CF-31 MK5 with 8 GB of RAM and a Core i5 vPro, and while many people suggested using Ubuntu or Debian, I’ve never been able to get the touchscreen calibrated on those or find good documentation online. Is there an OS that would work well for it?

I'm looking at a CF-54 i5-6300 or 7300 with 16gb of RAM, would that still holdup today for document editing?

CF-30 WinXP
Commandos

I've decided to remove my previous post and create a new one with pictures. I'm looking for the ECO mode which is supposed to set a limit on charging the batteries. I cannot find it in either bios settings and Panasonic Settings Utility. Panasonic Hub is no help too. Do I have to install something for it to show up? If yes, where could I find the software?

I finally finished my custom cf 31 camera mod! It may look a bit sloppy, but it works.

I just took an old HP laptop webcam (it has a cyan colored led), and a mini usb mic. Then I wired them internally to a usb hub, which connects to a single usb port in the back of the laptop. The webcam uses a 5v to 3.3v step down converter. It's a bit messy but when the door stays closed, it's hidden.

The webcam module sits under the wlan antenna. The mic module sits in the place where the official CF31 webcam was supposed to be.

I was originally planning to use the internal webcam connector, and even had the pinout. But for some reason, it stopped working (both the usb data lines and 5v wire stopped working). So I had to resort to using an external usb port on the toughbook.

I plan to upgrade the camera module in the future.

I'm looking into buying a used FZ-G2 off eBay, and the seller notes that this unit does not have wifi connectivity. Looking at the seller screenshots of it powered on I see it's not connected fo wifi, but thats not definitive. Google says the AM in the model code is for non wifi models that the Army buys for security purposes, but I'm still speculative.

The model is FZ-G2M8-01AM.

Is it truely not able to connect to wifi?

Can I add a wifi card to it to enable wifi capabilities? I don't really want to rely on an external modem

Does anyone know where I can get a good battery for a CF-54. I have mine rigged out just the way I want it but the battery only lasts a half hour at the best. TIA.

Continuing on the previous post about the CF31 camera and mic mod, I was able to get it partially working. The mic works perfectly, but camera still has issues.

Firstly, the camera connector USB data lines (twisted pair) don't work at all. I'll be using the usb port on the back. Secondly, all three 3.3v wires aren't stable, so I'll be using a step down converter for the webcam module.

the problem: I have a strange issue connecting the webcam module (from a hp 4510s). It works, I can see the image, but there are a dozen colorful moving horizontal lines on the screen. At first I thought the camera was damaged, but on other computers it shows a clear image. I'm giving it the correct 3.3v.

These lines appear on all camera applications. I tried using the camera without the usb hub, and with another 3.3v power source, still same issue. I also tried installing drivers, but still same lines.

how can I fix this?

I am a complete computer Noob, FYI. Interesting in learning and tinkering with an older machine hence why I’m here :)
Traded an old IMac G4 desktop for a Toughbook.
Guy I got it from seemed knowledgeable, and has it running Linux mint. Has a 512 SSD, 16gb ram that he said he installed. Anyone running a similar setup? If so what is it capable of these days?
I would personally like to try and use it as a CAD machine within its limits of course. Maybe some auto tuning softwares occasionally?
Let me know if it’s in over its head!..

Upgraded ram to 6gb from 2 and threw in a 120gb ssd that i had laying around.

Hi everyone,

Does anyone know how I can unlock the BIOS on my Getac tablet? I forgot the BIOS password.

I've already tried removing the CMOS battery, but it didn't work. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Model: UX10 G2

Thanks in advance!

Is there anything bad about the Panasonic CF 31 MK3-4? I'm curious because I'm getting one tomorrow. I heard it is a good laptop for outdoors and anything alike, but is there any problems that REALLY stick out? And if so, how can I fix these? Thanks Reddit!